USE OF FAMILY COUNSELLING TO CURB DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE CHURCH: SELECTED SCENARIOS IN MATERO, LUSAKA

Abstract

This study established the role of Family Counselling in curbing domestic violence in selected churches in Matero. The population for the study comprised 112 respondents: 2 church administrators, 3 church counsellors and 107 church members. A descriptive research design was used and data were collected through qualitative and quantitative methods where respondents were purposively and randomly selected. The study revealed that family counselling serves as a platform for education and awareness, conflict resolution, creation of strong family bonds, value inculcation, marriage preparation, improved attraction, improved commitment, behavioural change and anger management. The study further revealed that despite, the existence of family programmes in the selected churches family counselling with regards to domestic violence was not sufficiently present as members of the family such as children and other dependents were not usually assessed and given the service instead of the assumption that they would get healing from the various programs. The study concluded that family counselling provides a platform under which domestic violence may be avoided. The study recommends that churches should provide family counselling programmes on a regular basis; provide community family programmes at a favourable price so as to increase the number of families that benefit from family counselling provided in such platforms which would in turn lead to reduction of GBV; conduct workshops to train church leaders on domestic violence counselling.